Affiliation:
1. University of Washington, USA
Abstract
Research advances in behavioral medicine have prompted increasing recognition of the importance of behavioral and social science factors in healthcare, resulting in calls for the greater incorporation of the behavioral sciences in medical education and of behavioral interventions in healthcare. These developments have underscored the need for research on the mechanisms of bio-behavioral interaction and the conceptual limitations of the traditional biomedical model. The evolution of a bio-behavioral model of medicine and increasing multidisciplinary translational research in bio-behavioral medicine, have significant implications for information technology (IT). Consumers of IT must be assured that the “best evidence” incorporates relevant information on behavioral as well as biological factors, especially, information on the complex processes and mechanisms of bio-behavioral interaction that contribute to medical conditions and their treatment.